#sometimes the pivotal mentor figure in your short tragic life is a spineless nervous nelly who crawls all over your hair

[daisyachain]

Ikalgo is a loadbearing character in HxH. He does not get enough credit. The single bridging factor between Killua’s existence as a little wooden boy learning to be human and Killua’s existence as a real boy. He’s the only relationship that Killua takes into his own hands.

With Gon, Killua goes with the flow. With everyone else, Killua’s links to Leorio, Kurapika, Zushi, Bisky are all via Gon. His scenes with Melody do show a glimmering of the person he’ll come to be. However, it’s for too brief of a time for him to have any major development come from it. Throughout the series Killua’s love for Alluka is hampered by his feelings of helplessness when it comes to his family. He’s unable to take any initiative with that relationship or make any progress on his own will and wishes until after the Chimera Ant arc. That leaves Ikalgo. The talking octopus. As the person who forces Killua to exercise agency for himself and realize that he’s able to make his own decisions, he’s obligated to make his own decisions, and he’s obligated to make his decisions good for other people.